


A Shoulder to Cry on, a Back to Wash

by necroneol



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Care, Comfort, F/F, shower comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:08:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29414628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/necroneol/pseuds/necroneol
Summary: Shepard cries and Liara comes to comfort her.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	A Shoulder to Cry on, a Back to Wash

**Author's Note:**

> something very self-indulgent and very sweet <3

Shepard put her head in her hands. With the water cranked up so hot it burned as it rolled down her back, she cried.

Her legs ached. Her chest felt as if it was on the verge of caving in. Her back burned under the steaming shower, and even still, the muscles were sore. Her arms were tired. Her head was pounding.

She tried always to keep her composure, even in privacy. She worried that if she didn’t keep up the fearless act even when she looked in the mirror, she would have to face just how terrified she really was. Moments like this were rare--but when they hit, they hit  _ hard. _

She had been sitting at the table in the Crew Deck, slumped over her plate, nearly half asleep as she numbly fed herself spoonfuls. It had been a long day, a hard one. And all it took was reaching over to pick up her glass of water and spilling it into some poor deck hands’ lap to send her over the edge. She helped clean up and apologized profusely, but as soon as she could, she retreated into her quarters.

She had not realized how worn down she was until she had felt the hot water on her skin. It was as if the heat melted the last of her facade. She crumbled in an instant.

And now here she stood, crying her heart out over nothing and everything at once.

But a knock at the bathroom door silenced her quickly.

“Shepard?”

She didn’t raise her head, but she cleared her throat to speak, lest it crack. She knew that voice better than she knew her own.

“Liara.”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

A pause. “Can I come in?”

Shepard huffed out a laugh, though it was humorless. “I’m showering.”

“It sounds like you’re crying.”

Another laugh, this time genuine, even if it was small. “Yeah, I’m crying  _ in the shower. _ Multitasking, you know. I’m a busy woman.”

She could imagine Liara’s hands on her hips. The way she would purse her lips together and give her that look, like she was scolding her with her eyes alone. Cock her hips and furrow her brow until Shepard gave in and did whatever it was Liara wanted. And Shepard always gave in.

“Care for some company?”   
  
Shepard sniffled and scrubbed at her eyes, wishing the inevitable redness that came from crying would magically disappear. “Sure.” She called as she straightened up and turned the heat down, putting the water at a much more comfortable temperature. No point in roasting Liara along with her.

The door slid open and the asari walked in. She was already unzipping her clothes, and she laid them on the shelves beside the sink, where Shepard’s clothes sat, too. As she approached the shower, she smiled at Shepard, a warm, gentle smile.

Shepard grimaced back. “If you’re wanting to….” Shepard raised her eyebrows, “I’m not really in the mood, sorry.”

“Nope.” Liara stepped past the lip of the shower floor and into the water. “Just here to wash your back.”

“Mm…” That sounded perfect. Shepard turned around, grabbed the small bottle of body soap in front of her, and handed it to Liara. She wasted no time.

Her hands found Shepard’s toned back, and she smoothed them, lather and all, down her spine. Shepard leaned forward, until her forehead bumped against the shower wall, and put her hands against the wall, too. She closed her eyes and sighed.

“Are you okay?” She whispered as she rubbed her shoulders.

“Sure. I’m fine.” Shepard whispered back, hoarsely.

“You always say that,” she sounded worried. Shepard felt for her. Which was exactly why she didn’t want to worry her anymore by explaining that she had a breakdown over spilling some water. The last thing she needed to know was how fragile Shepard really was.

She shrugged. “Because I am.”

Liara sighed. “You know I’m always here for you, Shepard. Whatever you need, if I can do it, I will. And even if I can’t, well...I’ll help you find someone who can. Whether it’s lending you a shoulder or...or washing your back.”

Shepard nodded. “I know. Thank you, Liara.”

“Anytime, Shepard.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! I want to write more of them, so if you have any requests, please leave them in the comments! If I write any more one-shots like this I may collect them here.


End file.
